Archive for the category News

This week's Sunday Guardian carries an interesting story on the unsafe cities of Delhi, in which two reporters roam the streets after dark. They mostly encounter prostitutes and a steady throng of haggling customers.

This wonderful article written by the fabulous Nayantara Kilachand very well encompasses the basic problem faced by the LGBT community, that of acceptance. Based on study she recently came across which provides shocking figures, she delves deeper into the LGBT scene by investigating with her friendly queers.

In other homophobic and not so shocking news, Governor Georgiy Poltavchanko signed a homophobic law banning the so-called “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and pedophilia to minors.” The law will go into effect in 10 days.

The chances of marriage equality in Italy are a distant hope, but it doesn’t mean that the community won’t fight for it. With the Vatican and the Pope and the crazy orthodox Catholics, same sex marriage will not see the light of day any time soon.

Earlier this week on February 13th, a bill to legal same sex marriage passed the Legislature and was signed by Governor Christine Gregoire. "It's a day that historians will mark as a milestone for equal rights — when we did what was right, just and fair and did it together, Republicans and Democrats, gay and straight, young and old."

Before starting today's summarised report, a couple of comments based on what I understand from the reports. First, the judges are starting to enjoy the case. OK, perhaps that's not a respectful way of putting it, but there's definitely a sense from today's report that they are getting interested in the issue and also intrigued by some of the more bizarre aspects of s.377.

The Supreme Court today deferred till tomorrow the hearing on a bunch of appeals, both opposing and supporting the July 2009 verdict of the Delhi High Court, that decriminalised gay sex among consenting adults in private.

I've not read Hoshang Merchant and have not read any of his work. I have read Seth however. Everything he's written. But this isn't a review of Hosang's work vs. Seth's. As we celebrate Pride Week, I wonder what are we fighting for? Are we all fighting for the same rights?

As we walked towards the exit we had the venue staff telling us that we could not leave since there were police outside. A guy wearing a pony tail, beard, kohl eyed and wearing a vest was standing there instructing the police to go and check on the party. His name is Haji Ahmed Sahab Bawa (HASB) claiming to be a member of the NCP. He also was showing videos that he had clicked inside the party.

Haji Ahmed Sahab Bawa, a Muslim rightwinger, screamed and name called 270 guests and cops watched meekly, until we decided enough is enough, people mustered courage and took the fight to the police station...and after 2 hours of 50 odd people standing outside the station, we were told there was nothing wrong with party, all the permissions were in place and it was wrong that the party was stopped.

Former Rutgers University student Dharun Ravi rejected a plea bargain in court on Dec. 8 in an invasion of privacy case that was sparked by the suicide of his roommate, Tyler Clementi. If proven guilty Ravi now faces jail time and deportation to India.

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Gaysi is a space where the Desi-Gay community comes together and shares personal stories, their triumphs and failures, their struggles and their dreams, their hopes and despair. And in doing so, gives other gaysis a sliver of hope too. More